Photo: j / f / photos on Flickr

Assumptions

• You have great taste in session choice

• You know what a WordPress plugin is

• You know how to install & activate one

• You want to know more about how to find good ones & which ones can make your blog better

WP Plugin Directoryhttp://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

However, it’s not all it seems to be...

• More than half of the plugins in the repository are not compatible with WordPress 3.x.

• Only 32% of those 15,000+ plugins have been updated in 2011!

Source: http://wpmu.org/what-lurks-in-the-wordpress-plugin-repository/

Recent investigation of the current state of the WordPress plugin repository found:

Changes are coming

Plugins not been updated in past two years will be hidden both in the repository and in the WP admin plugin search.

- Announced by Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp San Francisco in August 2011

This is awesome!

Do your homework

• Check compatibility,• When last updated• Average rating• Others’ comments/issues

A word about bundled plugins

http://akismet.com/wordpress/Akismet

A word about bundled plugins

http://jetpack.me/Jetpack

My plugin criteria

• I have used it (or someone I trust has)

• It solves a specific problem

• Proper resource usage (won’t slow things down)

• Updated/supported

• Easy to use/configure

• Free (mostly)

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ezpz-one-click-backup/

#1 - EZPZ One Click Backup

Related plugin

http://vaultpress.com/

VaultPress (Paid)

Essential plugins

http://contactform7.com/

#2 - Contact Form 7

Essential plugins

http://contactform7.com/

#2 - Contact Form 7

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7-recaptcha-extension/

Contact Form 7 reCAPTCHA Extension

Related plugin

http://www.gravityforms.com/

Gravity Forms (Paid)

Essential plugins

http://www.afterthedeadline.com/

#3 - After the Deadline

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/yet-another-related-posts-plugin/

#4 - Yet Another Related Posts Plugin

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/

#5 - WPtouch

Related plugin

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/

WPtouch Pro (Paid)

Essential plugins

http://sharethis.com/

#6 (Tie) - ShareThis

Essential plugins

http://sharethis.com/

#6 (Tie) - ShareThis

Essential plugins

http://sharethis.com/

#6 (Tie) - ShareThis

Essential plugins

http://www.addthis.com/

#6 (Tie) - AddThis

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sharebar/

#6 (Tie) - Sharebar

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/fv-all-in-one-seo-pack/

#7 - FV Simpler SEO

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/fv-all-in-one-seo-pack/

#7 - FV Simpler SEO

Essential plugins

http://www.slidedeck.com/

#8 - Slidedeck (Free & paid)

Essential plugins

http://www.slidedeck.com/

#8 - Slidedeck free version

Essential plugins

http://www.slidedeck.com/

#8 - Slidedeck (Paid)

Essential plugins

http://www.slidedeck.com/

#8 - Slidedeck (Paid)

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analyticator/

#9 - Google Analyticator

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-unleashed/

#10 - Search Unleashed

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-unleashed/

#10 - Search Unleashed

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-pages/

#11 - Exclude Pages

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-pages/

#11 - Exclude Pages

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-calendar-events/

#12 - Google Calendar Events

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-calendar-events/

#12 - Google Calendar Events

Essential plugins http://www.google.com/support/feedburner/bin/answer.py?

hl=en&answer=78483&ctx=cb&src=cb&cbid=-1adh3dwxzdmhr&cbrank=2

#13 - FeedBurner FeedSmith

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tweet-blender/

#14 - Tweet Blender

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tweet-blender/

#14 - Tweet Blender

Essential plugins

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/maintenance-mode/

#15 - Maintenance Mode

Photo: Adam Holloway on Flickr

WP Free Themes Directoryhttp://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

• Not very helpful

• Hard to determine quality

Get recommendationshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/07/05/free-wordpress-themes-2011-edition/

Anatomy of a great theme

• Customizable - can add your own logo, color scheme, change layout, etc.

• Flexible - can handle a variety of different post types

• Adaptable - can grow with your needs

• Ongoing support and upgrades

Mix of free & paid themes

http://graphpaperpress.com/

Graph Paper Press

Mix of free & paid themes

http://www.nattywp.com/

NattyWP

Premium/paid themes

http://www.studiopress.com/StudioPress

Premium/paid themes

http://diythemes.com/

Thesis Theme Framework

Premium/paid themes

http://diythemes.com/

Thesis Theme Framework

Premium/paid themes

http://headwaythemes.com

Headway Themes

Premium/paid themes

http://headwaythemes.com

Headway Themes

Premium/paid themes

http://headwaythemes.com

Headway Themes

Mykl Roventinedesigner of things

myklroventine.com @myklroventine

Thankyou!